Floral packaging unit



June 26, 1955 D. s. sHlNoDA FLoRAL PACKAGING UNIT Filed Oct. 12. 1953 W m N s M 0M United States PatentO FLORAL PACKAGING UNIT Daniel S. Shinoda, San Lorenzo, Calif.

Application October 12, 1953, Serial No. 385,359

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-45.14)

This invention relates to a new and improved floral packaging unit.

One of the problems involved in the merchandising and transportation of cut flowers is the fact that after the florist spends considerable time and artistic eifort in arranging and packaging the flowers in a box, they frequently become disarranged before reaching the Consumer which destroys in large measure the attractiveness of the arrangement. Various means have been employed to secure the blossoms or stems in a container in which they are shipped, but these have been generally unsatisfactory either from the standpoint of the results obtained by the use thereof, by the difficulty and time consumed in securing the stem, or for other reasons. The present invention therefore includes a cleat which may be fastened to a conventional open top tray or box for packaging cut flowers, which cleat when in position holds the stems of the flowers against disarrangement during transportaton from the fiorist to the Consumer.

The invention employs a cleat which fits transversely across an open top tray or box, which cleat may be secured in position by the use of conventional fastening means such as staples which fasten the cleat to the sides of the tray or box. To facilitate fastening by means of conventional Wire staples, apertures are formed in the cleat which permit the anvil portion of a staple fastener to fit inside of the cleat so that staples can be conveniently attached.

Another feature of the invention is the fact that the transverse bottom edges of the cleat are serrated so as to more efiectively engage the stems of the flowers and hold them against movement. In addition, the serrated edges are preferably elevated slightly above the level of the bottom of the tray to prevent unnecessary damage to the stems.

The present invention, therefore, aifords an effective, inexpensive, labor saving device which may be used With a conventional tray or open-top box to hold the stems against dislodgement once the flowers are arranged in the tray. The versatility of the cleat is such that it may be positioned in any desired place in the tray depending upon the length of the stems and arrangement of the flowers.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing a tray of flowers with the cleat attached.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the blank of the cleat.

Fig. 3 is a perspective partly broken away in section showing the cleat in process of being assembled.

Pig. 4 is a perspective of the cleat prior to being installed in a tray.

In Fig. 1 of the accornpanying drawings there is shown a spray of flowers 11 arranged inside a conventional ,752,035 Patented June 26, 1956 open top tray 12, commonly used for transportation of such blossoms from the florist to the Consumer. It will be understood that the detailsIof the construction of the tray 12 form no part of the present invention. However, it is noted that such a tray frequently comprises an elongated paper-board open-top box which is relatively shallow and of a width sufficient to accommodate conventional arrangernents of cut flowers as shown in the drawings. The ends 13 of the tray may be formed in any suitable manner as well understood in the set-up carton industry. The tray 12, as illustrated in the drawings, is designed for use with cut flowers having relatively long stems, and in Fig. 1 is shown a few such flowers arranged with their stems 14 lying lengthwise in the box. It will be understood that depending upon the type and number of flowers, the particular arrangement may be varied. Thus, instead of all of the stems 14 extending in one direction, the blossoms may be placed at each end and the stems extend toward the center. The variety of different ways in which the stems may be arranged within the tray is one of the difliculties encountered in securing the stems in place in w' more conventional ways, and a primary object of the present invention is to secure the stems when once arranged in any one of a variety of different ways.

The blank for the cleat 16 which is used to secure the stems is shown in Fig. 2. A central rectangular top panel 17 is employed having a width equal to the width of the tray 12 and any desired length. On the side edges of the top panel 17, cut-outs 18 which may be arcuate, rectangular or any other desired Shape, are formed. The purpose of these cut-outs 18 is to enable the anvil of a stapling machine to be inserted therein, and hence the size of each cut-out must be adequate to accommodate such anvil.

On the top and bottom of the top panel 17 are side panels 19 which are separated from the center panel by transverse fold lines 21. The outer edges 22 of the side panels 19 are serrated for the purpose of holding the stems 14 in place, as will more fully appear hereinafter. On either end of the center panel are end panels 23 formed by inwardly extending slits 24 aligned with the fold lines 21 and separated from the center panel 17 by fold lines 26 which extend into the cut-out portions 18. At each corner of the blank are end flaps 27 separated from the side panels 19 by fold lines 26 which extend beyond lines 21, and separated from end panels 23 by slits 24. The details of construction of the end flaps 27 form no part of this invention, but alternate flaps 27 are formed with arcuate and tangential straight longitudinal slits 28 and 29 extending inwardly of the flaps from either a slit line 24 or the slanted upper or lower marginal edges 31 of flaps 27. The locking ears 32 formed by the slits 28 and 29 overlap and interlock when the cleat is assembled to maintain the end flaps 27 and side panels 19 in position perpendicular to the top panel 17.

In assembling the cleat, the ears 32 are interloeked and overlapped as shown particularly in Fig. 3, and the end panels 23 folded down over the end flaps 27 as shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that in assembled position the end panels 23 of the cleat are longer than the side panels 19, thus elevating the serrated bottom edges 22 of the side panels above the level of the lower edge of the end panels 23.

The cleat 16 is inserted in the box 12 after the flowers 11 are arranged in desired fashion. The cleat is placed in the most effective position to hold the stems 14 in place. More specifically, the cleat 16 is pushed down until the bottom edges of the end panels 23 engage the bottom of the tray whereupon the serrated bottom edges 22 of the side panels 19 engage and hold the stems 14 in place. The anvil of a stapling machine may then be inserted through the cut-out apertures 18 and staples 33 lare driven through the sides of the tray 12 and through end panels 23'and` end flaps 27 of the cleat, thereby holdng the cleat in position once it is stapled.

The ar'rangement of the cleat with respect to the stems of the fiowers prevents disarrangement of the flowers` after they have once been placed in the tray and the cleat applied. Upon arrival to the Consumer, the stems may be easily withdrawn by slipping them through the gaps' in edges 22, or the cleats can be easily removed by tearing the stapies 33 away from the side of the tray.

Although the invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purpose of clarity and undcrstanding, it is understood that certainV changes and modifications may be practiced Within the scope of the invention as limited only by the scope of the Vclaim appended hereto.

bottom of said tray; the bottoms of the sides of the cleat'whicli extend transversely of the tray terminating short of the bottoms of said cleat ends and the bottom edges of said cleat sides formed with a plurality of spaced serrations defining flower stem engaging members disposed above the bottom of the tray; each serration in one side of said cleat aligned With a like serration formed in the opposte side of said cleat; first and second tool access openings formed" in'the toppanel of' said box-like cleat structure and disposed adjacent opposite ends` thereof to permit insertionl of' a fastening tool` interiorly of said box-like cleat adjacent' the points of jo-nder of cleat ends to tray sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,l60,813 Allan Nov. 16, V1915 1,906,722 Rosenberg May 2', 1933 2,281,165 Miller Apr. 28, 1942 2',366,4l9 vMeller Jan. 2, 1945 2,629,499 Welshenbach Feb. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 432,899 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1935 

